Manufacturer

Setup in as little as 10 steps. Faster processor and more memory than the Mac mini client. Lots of storage for SMBs or a home network. New features add to the ultra-easy Mac experience. Powerful command-line option for advanced tasks and management.

Easy Setup
Server Assistant, a user-friendly wizard that walks you through setting up the server in a series of clicks, launches on boot up. First, you can opt to transfer an existing server from another volume on the server, or from a Time Machine backup.

The initial setup steps are setting up the administrator account and the network connection. I connected to my wireless network, and, once I clicked on the SSID, the system automatically populated the appropriate IP addressing and DNS addresses with no hassle. It's just as easy to assign manual network settings.

Next, you set up Users, Groups, and Services like File Sharing, Web, Mail, iCal via Server Preferences. The intuitive interface reduces carrying out server configurations to little more than pointing and clicking on icons. Microsoft has made great strides in creating a more navigable interface in Windows Small Business server 2008, with its Server Preferences counterpart, called Server Manager, but it's nowhere near as simple. Mac OS X's interface is all about user-friendliness.

My set up time met Apple's boast of "server setup in 10 minutes," though that's for a basic, simple setup. In testing, the Mac mini server proved to be somewhat challenging to integrate with an Active Directory Windows domain, and frustrating when I attempted to manage a Windows Domain Controller via OS X's Server Admin utility. Still, the Mac mini server facilitated harmonious cross-platform file sharing between it and Windows clients; something that a user with a mixed Windows and Mac network would want.

All in all, it's ideal for those with no experiencing setting up servers (although calls to Apple Support may be inevitable when configuring advanced services like Web or DNS).

This server may have the easiest VPN I have ever set up. You simply switch VPN on using the on-screen switch. It was easy to get a Windows 7 client configured to VPN in to the Apple server with no hiccups on either the client or server side. RAID configuration had the same ease of setup. With the two disks, users can set up disk striping (to boost performance) or mirroring (for fault tolerance). You can also set up MySQL, RADIUS, FTP and DHCP. Everything a simple network would require is included in this tiny server.Next: Features

Samara Lynn has nearly twenty years experience in Information Technology; most recently as IT Director at a major New York City healthcare facility. She has a Bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College, several technology certifications, and...

Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service